Mission and Vision

Join the girls movement!

The girls movement today is a wave of social change that recognizes the capabilities of girls and their potential to improve the world.

Girls Inc. of Holyoke (and our national organization, Girls Inc.) is a leader in this movement. We do more than empower girls to take their own potential to its highest level. We also sit down with policy makers, corporate partners, and community organizations to shape the agenda for positive social change. People who join and support Girls Inc. of Holyoke help develop stronger young women for our community, and a stronger girls movement nationwide.

Our Mission

The Girls Inc. of Holyoke mission is to inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold by providing them the opportunity to develop and achieve their full potential.

Our mission is based on the belief that when girls achieve at a higher level, they become powerful contributors to our society.

As a result, their families benefit. Communities benefit. The economy grows stronger, and we evolve to a place where gender is not a limitation.

How we work

We offer Elementary School Programs that serve girls 5-12 and Middle and High School Program to serve girls 12-18.

Across all our programs we focus on these four areas of personal development for girls:

Literacy and Academic Success. Building reading proficiency is part of everything we do, starting with Elementary School Program. Literacy - the development of knowledge and fluency in finance, media, and other areas - is built into specific programs. But whether it's reading skills or other areas of literacy, the goal is academic success.

STEM. Science, technology, engineering and math are key areas of learning (and career development) that we enable girls to explore through Eureka!, Operation SMART (Science, Math, and Relevant Technologies), BuildIT, and other programs.

Leadership and Critical Thinking. For girls to be confident, they need to develop critical thinking and leadership skills early in life, so our work with girls involves public speaking, making presentations, critical assessment of media messages, and other leadership skills.

Health and Wellness. We educate and empower girls to learn about their health, and we use holistic programs to help girls connect their mind and body.

How we work also focuses on sustained exposure and participation. Our programs operate 5 days a week, both after school and during the critical summer months. This continuous engagement results in girls who graduate more often, make healthy choices, achieve goals, and read proficiently.

Vision for girls: No limits

At the heart of our work is the idea of an equitable society, where gender equality is a reality, and the following truths are part of everyday life:

Girls explore career choices that are not defined by or limited by their gender

Girls think critically about their economic, social, and political environments, and work for change in their communities

Girls use the power of their creativity and self-expression freely

Girls respect themselves and each other, and care for one another in mind, body, and spirit

Girls are diversity champions, embracing it in and outside their communities